Development of the neo-morphic air breathing organ in the swamp-eel, Monopterus albus (Zuiew)

The embryonic gill material derived from the 1st gill arch gives rise to the respiratory epithelium of the mouth cavity for aerial respiration in Monopterus albus. A comprehensive gill mass formed by mixing of the embryonic gill materials derived from the dorsal ends of the gill arches (II to V) gives rise to the fused gill filaments on the 1st and IInd gill arches that subserve the purpose of utilizing O2 from air or water.     

Radioprotective effect of combinations of WR-2721 and mercaptopropionylglycine on mouse bone marrow chromosomes

The radioprotective and toxic effects of low to moderate doses of S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethyl phosphorothioic acid (WR-2721) and its combination with mercaptopropionylglycine (MPG, 20 mg/kg body wt) on the chromosomes of the bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice were studied at 24 h and 14 days postirradiation. Significant protection against radiation-induced chromosome aberrations was observed with 50 mg/kg WR-2721. The protection increased with the dose of the drug administered, and the degree of protection per unit dose increment was more pronounced at lower than at higher doses. A combination of WR-2721 and MPG given before exposure resulted in a significantly greater number of normal metaphases at 24 h postirradiation compared to the respective single-drug treatment groups. On Day 14 postirradiation, when the presence of WR-2721 resulted in an increase in the frequency of aberrant cells, combination with MPG helped to reduce this value markedly, especially at WR-2721 doses below 200 mg/kg. On the basis of these results it is suggested that 150 mg/kg WR-2721 may be considered an optimum dose for combination with MPG for protection of chromosomes of bone marrow cells when repeated drug administrations are not needed. Changes in the level of glutathione (GSH) in the blood were studied at different times following the administration of 150 mg/kg WR-2721 and its combination with MPG (20 mg/kg) before sham irradiation or exposure to 4.5 Gy 60Co gamma rays. The results showed that WR-2721 elevated blood GSH levels significantly above normal values by the time radiation was delivered, while MPG did not. Glutathione appears to have an important role in the action of WR-2721, while protection by MPG may not be mediated through GSH. Injection of MPG after WR-2721 helps to maintain the higher GSH level for a longer duration compared to treatment with WR-2721 alone. It is possible that MPG delays the metabolism of GSH.     

Effect of actinomycin-D on the fat body RNA content in Dysdercus koenigii (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae)

The effect of actinomycin-D on the RNA content of the total fat body was studied on day 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the first reproductive cycle in the females. Actinomycin-D exhibited its highest inhibitory effect in insects injected on day 4 and a lower degree of the effect was seen in insects injected on day 5. These results suggest that by the end of day 4, a major quantity of DNA-dependent RNA, necessary for vitellogenin synthesis, has already been synthesised and accumulated.     

Effects of serpasil on lipids,lipoprotein lipase and lipogenic enzymes in alloxan diabetic rats

Diabetes intensifies the development of atherosclerosis. Treatment with antihypertensive drug, serpasil, arrested the progression of atherosclerosis in alloxan diabetic rats by significantly decreasing the concentration of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides of serum, liver, kidney and aorta. Serpasil also decreased fasting blood sugar and urine sugar levels in these rats. Serpasil administration remarkably altered the deranged lipid metabolism in alloxan diabetic rats by nearly restoring the lipolytic and lipogenic enzyme activity to that of the normal     

Histology and histochemistry of the intermoult integument in the ghost crab Ocypoda platytarsis (Milne-Edwards) (Crustacea: Brachyura).

The histological and histochemical aspects of the integument have been described and discussed during the intermoult period of Ocypoda platytarsis. Histological observations revealed that the cuticle comprises of four layers namely epicuticle, exocuticle, endocuticle and membranous layers. Various types of cells in the subepidermal tissue have also been elucidated.     

Is organic acid required for nutrition of thermophilic fungi?

In contrast to a published report [Wali et al. Arch Microbiol 118:49–53 (1978)], an organic acid is not essential for the growth of thermophilic fungi. The thermophilic fungus, Thermomyces lanuginosus, grows satisfactorily in a synthetic medium containing glucose as carbon source if the pH of the medium is controlled. The control of pH is essential for the concentration of carbon dioxide in the growth medium and the activity of anaplerotic enzyme, pyruvate carboxylase.Abbreviations PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - GDP guanosine 5-diphosphate     

Genome-Wide Analysis in Wild and Cultivated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza</Emphasis> Species Reveals Abundance of NBS Genes in Progenitors of Cultivated Rice

NBS-encoding genes play a critical role in the plant defense system. Wild relatives of crop plants are rich reservoirs of plant defense genes. Here, we performed a stringent genome-wide identification of NBS-encoding genes in three cultivated and eight wild Oryza species, representing three different genomes (AA, BB, and FF) from four continents. A total of 2688 NBS-encoding genes were identified from 11 Oryza genomes. All the three progenitor species of cultivated rice, namely O. barthii, O. rufipogon, and O. nivara, were the richest reservoir of NBS-encoding genes (214, 313, and 307 respectively). Interestingly, the two Asian cultivated species showed a contrasting pattern in the number of NBS-encoding genes. While indica subspecies maintained nearly equal number of NBS genes as its progenitor (309 and 313), the japonica subspecies had retained only two third in the course of evolution (213 and 307). Other major sources for NBS-encoding genes could be (i) O. longistaminata since it had the highest proportion of NBS-encoding genes and (ii) O. glumaepatula as it clustered distinctly away from the rest of the AA genome species. The present study thus revealed that NBS-encoding genes can be exploited from the primary gene pool for disease resistance breeding in rice.     

Load monitoring and system-traffic-aware live VM migration-based load balancing in cloud data center using graph theoretic solutions

This paper proposes solutions to monitor the load and to balance the load of cloud data center. The proposed solutions work in two phases and graph theoretical concepts are applied in both phases. In the first phase, cloud data center is modeled as a network graph. This network graph is augmented with minimum dominating set concept of graph theory for monitoring its load. For constructing minimum dominating set, this paper proposes a new variant of minimum dominating set (V-MDS) algorithm and is compared with existing construction algorithms proposed by Rooji and Fomin. The V-MDS approach of querying cloud data center load information is compared with Central monitor approach. The second phase focuses on system and network-aware live virtual machine migration for load balancing cloud data center. For this, a new system and traffic-aware live VM migration for load balancing (ST-LVM-LB) algorithm is proposed and is compared with existing benchmarked algorithms dynamic management algorithm (DMA) and Sandpiper. To study the performance of the proposed algorithms, CloudSim3.0.3 simulator is used. The experimental results show that, V-MDS algorithm takes quadratic time complexity, whereas Rooji and Fomin algorithms take exponential time complexity. Then the V-MDS approach for querying Cloud Data Center load information is compared with the Central monitor approach and the experimental result shows that the proposed approach reduces the number of message updates by half than the Central monitor approach. The experimental results show on load balancing that the developed ST-LVM-LB algorithm triggers lesser Virtual Machine migrations, takes lesser time and migration cost to migrate with minimum network overhead. Thus the proposed algorithms improve the service delivery performance of cloud data center by incorporating graph theoretical solutions in monitoring and balancing the load.     

Decreasing mortality and hospitalizations with rising costs related to gastric cancer in the USA: an epidemiological perspective

Background

There is no convincing data on the trends of hospitalizations, mortality, cost, and demographic variations associated with inpatient admissions for gastric cancer in the USA. The aim of this study was to use a national database of US hospitals to evaluate the trends associated with gastric cancer.

Methods

We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for all patients in whom gastric cancer (ICD-9 code: 151.0, 151.1, 151.2, 151.3, 151.4, 151.5, 151.6, 151.8, 151.9) was the principal discharge diagnosis during the period, 2003–2014. The NIS is the largest publicly available all-payer inpatient care database in the US. It contains data from approximately eight million hospital stays each year. The statistical significance of the difference in the number of hospital discharges, length of stay, and hospital costs over the study period was determined by regression analysis.

Results

In 2003, there were 23,921 admissions with a principal discharge diagnosis of gastric cancer as compared to 21,540 in 2014 (P?<?0.01). The mean length of stay for gastric cancer decreased by 17% between 2003 and 2014 from 10.9?days to 8.95?days (P?<?0.01). However, during this period, the mean hospital charges increased significantly by 21% from $ 75,341 per patient in 2003 to $ 91,385 per patient in 2014 (P?<?0.001). There was a more significant reduction in mortality over a period of 11?years from 2428 (10.15%) in 2003 to 1345 (6.24%) in 2014 (P?<?0.01). The aggregate charges (i.e., “national bill”) for gastric cancer increased significantly from 1.79 bn $ to 1. 96 bn $ (P?<?0.001), despite decrease in hospitalization (inflation adjusted).

Conclusion

Although the number of inpatient admissions for gastric cancer have decreased over the past decade, the healthcare burden and cost related to it has increased significantly. Inpatient mortality is decreasing which is consistent with overall decrease in gastric cancer-related deaths. Cost increase associated with gastric cancer contributed significantly to the national healthcare bill.

     

Potency Analysis of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Using a Combinatorial Assay Matrix Approach

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